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Food Drives

Feeding America member food banks are excited to have you join the fight against hunger in your community. Keep these things in mind in order to have the greatest impact.

Traditional food drives

Before you organize a food drive, make sure you contact your local food bank. The food bank will give you advice on:

Food safety

What types of items (food and non-food) they can safely accept

When food is needed the most

The Feeding America network maintains the highest standards of food safety, which means that not every product is suitable for donation. It requires time and effort for the food bank to sort and inspect all donated items to ensure that they are safe.

To maximize your efforts, Feeding America suggests that you also consider a “virtual” food drive to help support your local food bank.

Fundraise for your local food bank

Fundraising can give the highest return for your effort. Food drives can raise 700 pounds per distribution location — roughly 583 meals. Conversely, raising and donating $700 to your local food bank would translate to 2100 meals. That’s because food banks are able to work directly with the Feeding America network and local distributors to secure large amounts of produce below retail cost.

Fundraise for Feeding America

When you donate to the Feeding America national organization, $1 helps provide 11 meals through the Feeding America network. Unlike walking into a grocery store or restaurant and paying retail prices for food, Feeding America works with manufacturers and retailers across the country to secure safe, healthy food that would otherwise go to waste. We then provide those donations to food banks across the country, which help distribute them to people in need.

You can set up your own fundraiser through Feeding America’s specialized and easy-to-use tool, Set The Table. Get started today ›